Sliding window sash mounting device



Dec. 27, 1949 H. SCHWARTZMANN SLIDING WINDOW SASH MOUiiT'ING DEVICEFiled Dec. 5, 1947 IN V EN TOR.

Patented Dec. 27, 1949 .UNITED STATES PATENT orricr.-

SLIDING WINDOW SASH MOUNTING DEVICE Harry Sehwartzmann, New Rochelle, N.Y.

Application December 3, 1947, Serial No. 789,387

3 Claims.

The present invention relates to sliding window sashes and theirmountings in fixed window frame members and more particularly to a meansfor guiding and fixing such a sash in adjusted positions in the frame.The structure constitutes an improved substitute for the conventionalcounterweight which is commonly enclosed in the frame and connected withthe sash by a cord trained over a pulley journalled in the upper part ofthe frame.

Such counterweights are subject to a number of objections, and it hasheretofore been proposed to substitute for them various forms ofmounting guides which will fix the sash at any vertically adjustedposition and frictionally hold it in place. However, none of suchdevices with which I am acquainted has proved entirely satisfactory, sothat none of them has come into extensive use. The present inventionaims to provide a device of the frictional type which will be Simple andinexpensive in construction, foolproof and durable in operation, andentirely efficient and satisfactory in accomplishing its dual principalpurposes of guiding the sash in its sliding movements and fixing itsecurely at any adjusted position.

A further object is to provide a device of the character indicated whichwill incidentally have important Weatherstripping or sealing functions.

Other and further objects and advantages are contemplated, all of whichit is believed will be evident to those skilled in the art from thefollowing description of the principles of the invention, taken inconjunction with the accompanying drawing which illustrates certainpreferred embodiments of the invention which have been thoroughly testedin actual practice and found to be entirely satisfactory and dependable.

In the drawing,

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of the lower right hand corner of avertically slidabl window sash mounted in a fixed frame opening, withthe sash shown partly broken away to illustrate, in

Fig. 5 is a horizontal cross sectional view,

corresponding to that of Fig. 2, but showing av modified embodiment ofthe invention; and

2 responding to that of Fig. 4, but showing "the device of Fig. 5.

Generally speaking, the invention comprises providing one of the fixedwindow frame or sliding sash members (preferably the frame member) withlengthwise, vertical ribs which project laterally into channels orgrooves formed in. the other member (preferably the sash) and providingsuch other member with a plurality of devices which will engage the sidefaces of the ribs.

with a degree of friction great enough to maintain the sash securely atany predetermined ad-- justed elevation in the frame opening but smallenough to be readily overcome so that the sashcan be moved vertically toany other desired position in the opening.

Fig. 1 shows at I a vertical side member of a fixed window frame whichstands upright from a sill 2 and defines therewith one of the lowercorners of a window opening containing a vertically slidable sash 3having an upright .side rail 4, a lower cross rail 5 and a glass pane 6.It is to be understood that the sash 3, which may be one of the twosashes of a conventional double hung window, has two side rails 4 andtwo cross rails 5, and of course the frame opening has two side membersI. I

Each of the side members I of the fixed window frame is provided with arib element 1 of .T- shaped cross section, as best shown in Fig; 2,conveniently made of copper, zinc, or other noncorrodible sheet metal ofthe type commonly used in making metal Weatherstripping. This element isbent to provide a pair of co-planar side? frame member I and extendsappreciably into the window opening. 1

Each of the side rails 4 of the sash is vertically channeled or groovedalong its outer edge toreceive the rib 9 in such a way that the interfitof the rib and channel mounts the sash for free vertical slidingmovement but prevents lateralmovement of the sash to the left or rightof the structure as viewed in Fig. 1, or in or out of the Thus the sashis slidably mounted in the frame and held captive therein.

The sash is provided with one or more guiding I and fixingdevices asproposed by the invention;-

frame opening.

I prefer to equip each of the sash side rails with two such devices, onelocated near the bottom of the rail, as shown in Fig. 1, and one located3 near the top of the rail, but it will be understood that any number ofsuch devices may be employed within the broad spirit of the invention.

The function of each device is to embrace the rib 9 in frictionalengagement which will permit the sash to be raised and lowered at willand to be held by the frictional engagement at any adjusted position inits range of movement.

Each device is permanently inserted in a suitable recess il drilled intothe-side rail 4 from its outer vertical edge, or from the base of thechannel thereof, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

The device illustrated in Figs. 1-4 comprises a generally tubularhousing member I 2, conveniently made of die cast zinc alloy or thelike, having one or more small outer surface ribs or keys l3 for makinga drive fit in the recess H so as to hold the housing securely in placeand keep it from becoming dislodged or turned.

The generally tubular body of each housing has a pair of diametricallyopposite relatively narrow slots 14 penetrating it fromwhat may beregarded as its outer end, shown at the right in Figs. 1 and 2. Theseslots terminate in circularly enlarged seats for the reduced ends of ashaft is which make a tight drive flt in the seats, and on the shaftthere are loosely mounted for free rotation and free axial movement apair of relatively thin rollers 16, which are yieldably urged towardcontact with each other by a coil spring l1 encircling the shaft andinterposed between each roller and the adjacent inner wall of thehousing l2.

A washer 48 may if desired serve as an abutment for the outerconvolution of each of the coil springs to keep its terminal end frombecoming caught in the slot I4, and the outer face of each of therollers may be provided with a circular axial projection l9 around whichthe inner convolution of the spring seats, but these are details whichform no essential part of the invention.

Similarly, the rollers may have the peripheries of their inner, opposedfaces beveled slightly, as shown at 20, so that the two rollers, pressedinto engagement by the springs i1, present a peripheral pocket orgroove, as is best shown in Fig. 3.

Midway between the narrow slots 14 the housing 12 has a pair ofdiametrically opposite wider slots 2| which expose the outer half ormore of each of the rollers for penetration of the rib 9 between them,as will now be explained.

With the device, made as thus described, driven into place in one ormore recesses H in each of the sash side rails, the sash is installed inthe frame opening by interfltting each of the ribs 9 between the tworollers iii of each of the devices. This interfitting has the efiect ofcanting the rollers from their more or less accurately radial positionson the shaft 15, shown in Fig. 3, to their inclined positions shown inFig. 2, which movement is accommodated by the loose fit of the rollerson the shaft. In this canted position the inner faces of the rollers arepressed by the springs I1 into frictional engagement with the oppositeside faces of the rib 9. As the sash is moved up and down in the windowopening the rollers turn, or at least they are free to turn, on theshaft 15. They ride along the length of the rib 9 and by theirfrictional engagement with the rib they serve to hold the sash in anyvertically adjusted position at which theperson lifting or lowering thesash may stop it in itsmove ment.

It will be appreciated that since the rollers are 4 free to move axiallyalong the shaft within the considerable limits determined by the insidediameter of the housing, the rollers will not bind against the ribdespite any inequalities or irregularities by which the rib may deviatefrom true and accurate straightness.

It will also be evident that the interfit of the rib into the sashchannel or groove forms a light trap and an air trap, thus performingincidental valuable Weatherstripping functions.

Figs. 5 and 6 illustrate a modified embodiment in which a housing 24,made generally like the housing l2, and having wide slots 25 similar toand for the same purpose as the slots 2|, encloses a. pair of levers 25,each of which is provided between its ends with an outwardly projectinglug or trunnion 21 which is journalled in one of a pair of sockets 28formed at diametrically opposite points in the housing side wall. Thetwo levers are fulcrumed by their trunnions to rock in a plane which ishorizontal when the housing is mounted in a sash, as shown in Fig. 5.The outer end of each lever mounts a rotatable element, here shown inthe form of a ball 29, set in a substantially hemispherical recessformed in the inner surface of each lever, and these elements arepressed toward contact with each other, or into frictional engagementwith the opposite faces of the rib 9, by the expansive action of a coilspring 30 which is seated in shallow sockets 3! formed at the opposite,or inner, ends of the levers.

It will be appreciated that, when mounted as shown in Fig. 5, thisembodiment of the invention provides frictional engagement of theelements 29 with the rib 9 and that the elements are free to movelaterally, either jointly or individually, to accommodate irregularit inthe thickness of the rib 8 or deviations of the rib' from accuratestraightness, in much the same way as the rollers l6 act.

The parts are all made of metal, and the assembly constituted by eachembodiment is permanent and not subject to accidental dismantling orseparation of its parts when the devices are being handled prior toinstallation. Thus, the journals formed at the ends of the shaft 15 makea tight drive fit in their seats at the bases of the slots l4, so thatthe shaft is not likely to become separated from the housing l2 when thedevice is being handled. Similarly, theballs 29 are maintained in theirsockets because they are pressed into engagement with each other by theaction of the spring 311.

While I have shown the fixed frame provided with the ribs, and thesliding sash equipped with the friction element devices, it is to beunderstood that within the broad principles of the invention thisrelationship may be reversed, with the ribs attached to the sash and thefriction element devices mounted in the fixed frame.'

It will be appreciated that the arrangement provided by the inventionrequires no lubrication or any other kind of attention and contains nopart or assembly that is likely to break, wear out, or becomedisconnected. Moreover, the cost of a complete installation of a pair ofribs and set of frictional element devices is favorably comparable withthat of a pair of sashweights and the-necessary complement of pulleys,cords, etc.

In addition to these advantages, the present invention eliminates theneed of providing the usual box-like enclosure in each of the windowframe upright members for housing the movingsashweight. Accordingly, theframe used with the present devices may be made narrower and at lowercost and may be set closer to the window buck or to the masonry or othermaterial of the building wall.

It is noteworthy also that the friction provided by the devices isconstant and uniform and remains so at all times in any giveninstallation. This friction can be predetermined in accordance with theweight of the particular sash to be mounted and can be adjusted andregulated by proper selection of springs I! or 30, thickness or numberof washers I8, depth of sockets 3|, or in other ways. Moreover, inaccordance with the well known law of mechanics, the static frictionwhich must be overcome to start the sash sliding from a position of restis greater than the sliding friction which must be overcome to keep thesash in motion. It follows that the frictional force or quantity for anygiven installation can be predetermined at such a value that a verymoderate pull up or down on the sash will start the sash in motion andwill keep it in motion and yet the same frictional force or quantitywill be adequate to hold the sash securely at any desired stoppingposition.

It is believed that the foregoing disclosure of the principal details oftwo preferred embodiments of the broad inventive ideas is adequate toacquaint those skilled in the art with the manner in which the inventionis practiced and that these explanations will be found sufficient tosupport the appended claims which are directed to a selected embodimentspecifically as well as to the broad principles of the inventionincorporated in other and further modified forms.

I claim:

1. A device for guiding and fixing a sliding window sash in adjustedpositions along a rib projecting from a fixed frame comprising ahoushousing, a pair of rollers rotatable on the shaft and having theiropposed faces beveled and bearing against the opposite lateral faces ofthe rib, and a spring reacting between the housing and each roller foryieldably pressing the rollers against the rib.

3. A device for guiding and fixing a sliding window sash in adjustedpositions along a rib projecting from a fixed frame comprising a housingrecessed in the sash, a shaft mounted in the housing, a pair of rollersrotatable and slidable axially on the shaft and engaged with the opposedlateral faces of the rib, and a spring reacting between the housing andeach roller for yieldably pressing the rollers against the rib.

HARRY SCHWARTZMANN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 512,647 Donahl Jan. 9, 18941,562,523 Slappey Nov. 24, 1925 1,646,068 Rosner Oct. 18, 1927 1,798,409Ferris Mar. 31, 19.31 2.453.935 Quigley et al Nov. 16, 1948

